Moon River
by NeedsmoarDelta
Summary: A guy. A girl. One destined to follow her heart, and make no apologies for it. The other bends to society whims, and apologizes for her. Lolita and uptight Lit teacher. The most unlikely of pairs, and therefore the most destructive.
1. Prologue: Moon River

_A/N: Super short prologue, I know, but I said all I needed to say to set it up. __This idea came to me while I was reading The Fountainhead and so it will have some similar themes, with a dash of Waitress and Breakfast at Tiffany's (the book, not the movie). I always saw Rin as a bit of Holly Golightly-esque character. _

---------

"_Moon River, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style some day. Oh, dream maker, you heart __breaker,__ wherever you're going I'm going your way. __Two drifters off to see the world.__ There's such a lot of world to see. We're after the same rainbow's end- waiting 'round the bend, my huckleberry friend, Moon River and me………."_

_-------_

It's strange, how the tiniest of things came remind you of things you wish you could forget. I see them sometimes, groups of carefree girls in the same outrageous style, laughing and wobbling like newborn colts in their ridiculous platform shoes. Each time, I scan the crowd, hoping to see _her._ But I never do.

I never saw her again after that night; her sewing machine had gone silent, and in the days after, I saw that the tag above her mailbox- Miss Isuzu Sohma- was gone.

That doesn't stop me from looking, or having that damn song haunt me in my dreams.

Sitting at my desk, grading papers, I wonder if it was all worth it. I had everything; I was the epitome of success. So why was I still wondering, still thinking, still looking for any trace of her?


	2. Innocent World

_A/N: If Double D has an official last name, I was not aware of it. If anyone knows it, feel free to correct me. For the time being, I took the liberty of giving him a last name, modeled on the last name of the author of Fountainhead. It was a bit of irony I thought she'd appreciate. ;)_

_Double D's speech is totally anti- Ayn Rand, and I tried to make it as bullshit-ty as possible. Rin's bit at the end may seem a bit random, but there is a connection. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the cartoons used, or the lyrics to Moon River. Hell, I don't own anything, although I wish I owned that Baby the Stars Shine Bright dress Rin wears. _

------

The faint sound of Pomp and Circumstance playing threatened to send Double D into a complete mental breakdown. He paced, wringing his hands. "Writing is an art form unique from……" he muttered under his breath, trying to remember the rest of his speech. But his mind was blank.

Wendy Testaburger opened the door, hesitant, holding up the hem of her long white dress, required for all the graduating girls.

"Eddward, you're up." She was the only girl who ever called him by his full name, and usually that made him smile. Today, though, all he could manage was a grimace, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. He took a deep breath and followed Wendy out the door and to the auditorium.

"Please don't make me have another lapse in memory….please don't make me….." Double D muttered under his breath, each step he took made his knees weaker as he approached the stage.

"……and now Columbia University's class of 2009 valedictorian, Eddward Randall."

Double D gripped the edge of the podium, opening his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He could barely make out the faces of each individual person watching him, but the dark shadows lumped together in the middle of his field of vision indicated a large crowd. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, he tried to swallow but the lump in his throat prevented him from doing so.

He glanced at Wendy, sitting with the other girls on the right; she looked up at him with her bright cerulean eyes, as if to say, "I know you can do it."

He took a deep breath and faced the crowd, "Writing is an art form unique from all others. Unlike a painter, who shows what he means to say with pictures, we authors must tell our tales with words, leaving the pictures to the minds of the readers. Writing is composed of structure and infused with traditions, passed down by classic authors who have lit the path for us, the next generation. We can only hope to recreate such beauty with our own words. Therefore, we shall go into this world with the knowledge of those before us and make ourselves successes that shall be a reflection upon everything we have gained here…….." Imbued with confidence, Double D continued with more fervor than he had started with, all of his nervousness gone.

He made his way back to his seat, his ears ringing with the uproarious applause coming from the crowd. The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur; he didn't even remember crossing the stage when the dean called his name. Yet the diploma rested in his hands. The band played some lame song and it was all over. He felt strangely…..deflated. He had always shined in high school, and even further in college, on the honor roll every semester. Now that was past, and what was he going to do? Who would remember him? No one, unless he did something about it. And that did not include being a self published author living in some crappy ass apartment in Brooklyn. No. He had to do bigger things than that.

"Great speech!"

"Whoa, dude, that was like, awesome and deep and stuff."

He felt a hand tap him on the shoulder, it was Wendy. "Beautiful speech, Eddward," she said, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Thanks Wendy. Would you care to-" A nasal voice with a thick Rhode Island accent interrupted him, "Eddward, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I mean, yes."

She brandished a business card, the type that looked like it had been monogrammed at Tiffany's. "Lois Pewter-Schmidt. I'm-"

"I know who you are," Double D said eagerly, looking up into her eyes with a lovesick expression. "Former Executive Editor of the New Yorker, on the bestseller list for six weeks straight….."

"Now the dean at Constance Billard School for Girls." Lois finished his sentence for him. She lit a cigarette; Wendy walked away in disgust. Double D barely noticed her departure; he was too busy watching Lois' every move.

"That was a fine speech, Eddward. I just may have a place for you at Constance."

Double D tried to fight the smile he knew was working its way across his face. "I would be honored to be graced with your presence, Ms. Pewter-Schmidt."

"Uh-huh. Yeah. Listen, kid," she took a drag from her cigarette, "I'm hosting this party at Soho House tonight. Be there, if you want that job."

"O-of course," Double D squeaked, gazing at her in awe. He only managed to take a few wobbling steps before passing out cold from the shock.

-------

There was nothing Rin loved more than sitting at her desk, the sewing machine humming and her feet pushing the pedal in a familiar, steady rhythm. Fabric seemed to have so many possibilities, just waiting for Rin to guide it into being something else. So she did, creating dresses that were more confection than clothing.

The most delicate of ruffles, made of soft, translucent georgette, trimmed with lace, fine spun into an airy texture. Each piece complimented each other perfectly, it was the way lace, cotton, and velvet were supposed to look, but never knew how. And Rin's hands brought them to life.

Time passed at record speed, hours morphed into seconds as Rin hummed along with the machine's purring. That is, until she glanced at the chrome cat clock perched on a dresser, the type you'd see in a fifty's diner.

Seven o' clock. Damn, she was late.

Quick, quick, quick. The rustle of petticoats and the pounding of footsteps reached a frantic pace. Find the right dress- a lavender Baby one, with a soft floral print and long, romantic, princess sleeves. Putting on the pearl necklace, the matching Alice bow. Last, but not least, stepping into a pair of white rocking horse shoes, tying the ribbon laces around her ankles. A squirt of perfume and Rin was out the door, running down the stairs at light speed.


	3. Fairy Wish

_A/N: I know the ending may be a bit confusing to anyone who doesn't know Fruits Basket, but don't worry, all will be explained. And, I have translated the French down at the bottom. Hopefully I got the grammar right, French grammar isn't my strongest point. So if I made a mistake, don't hesitate to correct me. _

_-----_

If there was one thing Double D couldn't stand, it was formalwear. Although it was so clean and crisp, perfectly pressed. He'd pick his faded old jeans any day. It just felt….strange, to be wearing something so stiff and unfamiliar. And his cap looked just plain stupid with the dressy outfit, but there was no way in hell he'd go without- even if it meant looking like someone who had gotten dressed in the dark.

The sun had completely faded by the time Double D left Wendy's place in Brooklyn (she was kind enough to let him stay for a couple of days until he figured stuff out). The wind picked up, bringing with it the smell of fresh bread from the Italian bakery down the street and relief from the sticky humidity of summer in New York. Normally, Double D would have been a little freaked out at the thought of wandering around Brooklyn after dusk, but tonight he felt strangely calm, not his usual nervous, worrying self.

Of course, he lost this sense of inner peace when he entered the dingy subway station and was confronted by a rat the size of a kitten making its way across the tracks. He made an inhumane sound that was a cross between a squeak and a shriek and hopped up on the wooden bench fixed to the grimy tile wall behind him. The thought of all the unsavory people who had sat there before him took a backseat to the plague carrying pigeon in rodent form a few feet to the left and below. Thank God there was no one else currently waiting for the F train, or else he'd have some explaining to do.

To his immense relief, the blinding light reflected on the cracked concrete wall indicated that the F train was not far away. Sure enough, the piercing squeal of brakes left Double D's ears ringing. The kitten sized rat, however, didn't make it off as easily, trapped beneath said subway. It was not pretty, to say the least. Luckily, Double D didn't notice, or else he probably would have spewed the thin crust Brooklyn style pizza he had for dinner all over the crowded car.

And that sure as hell wouldn't have been a pleasant sight.

-----

Streets were passed by with lightening speed, a blur of anonymous faces that he'd never see again, watching him, judging him. The tile mosaics got cleaner with each station, Double D liked that. The nice, orderly way each one was placed, from far away it looked kind of ordinary. But when you stood back and really looked, it was something beautiful- all those tiny pieces formed one.

"Fourteenth Street, Fourteenth Street next," the heavily accented, nasal voice announced, "Stand clear of the closing doors."

Just as the subway doors were about to close, a girl ran in, breathless. No, not a girl, Double D realized as he glanced at her again, a woman, maybe about twenty or so. It was her clothes that were so off-putting, making her appear much younger at first sight.

It was probably the most elaborate dress Double D had ever seen, if he could even call it that. It looked like something out of a play. And the rest of her outfit! Just as strange, a large white, lacy bow was perched on her head, long bangs hiding her eyes. On her feet were platform shoes, with a small chunk cut out the back, tied around the ankles with white satin ribbons.

She looked so foreign, like an exotic commodity that would be sold at an auction for a ridiculous amount of money. She looked somewhat uncomfortable, and her platforms so high, that Double D stood up from the grimy orange plastic seat where he had been sitting (albeit gingerly).

"I relinquish my seat to you, Miss."

She stared at him from underneath her bangs, her eyes as black as onyx. No thank you, not even a sign that she understood him.

"Do you not understand? _Parlez-vous francais?"_

_"__Vous foutez__."_

"This is Fourteenth Street." The doors slid open and Double D stepped out, as did the mysterious young woman. When he turned around again, she was gone, faded into the crowd.

"Well, how rude," he muttered.

That sentiment being expressed, Double D headed up the gum covered staircase and out of the station, towards Ninth Ave.

------

"Name please."

He never felt more out of place, staring into the face of the appropriately snotty toon blocking his way.

"Doub- I mean, Eddward Randall."

The guest list was scanned and Double D was allowed to pass through, up a flight of stairs to the roof. He gasped- he couldn't help it. Growing up on the cul de sac certainly hadn't prepared him for _this._

A glass balcony separated the edge of the roof from the rest of the city, but at first, one didn't even know it was there- it just looked like the roof was a continuation of the illuminated Manhattan skyline.

Colorful silk screened Chinese lanterns, with designs painted in 24k gold paint provided soft pools of light, the gold adding a subtle sparkle. Lounge chairs surrounded a turquoise tiled pool, light from underneath to create a somewhat otherworldly feel to the water. A few of the guests- Double D spotted Serena in a low cut black dress, way different from the school uniform he was used to her wearing when she wasn't Sailor Moon - sat on the edge of the pool, dangling their manicured feet in the warm water.

"Hey Double D." Katara gave him a warm smile, taking a sip from an unidentified blue drink in a martini glass.

"Hello," he responded back, wishing that he felt less awkward, "You are dressed in a most aesthetically pleasing manner."

And she was, abandoning her usual updo for something more relaxed; her hair fell past her shoulders in soft waves. She still wore her choker around her neck, the water bending symbol carved into a small stone. Unlike Serena's low cut, slight promiscuous dress, Katara had opted for something more modest: an empire waisted dress with layers of iridescent aqua chiffon.

"Uh, Thanks, Double D." She wandered off to talk to Rocko, who looked even more uncomfortable than Double D, if that was possible.

Until he spotted a familiar red head amongst the masses.

He darted passed random drunk partygoers, panting a little when he finally reached his destination.

"Ms. Pewter-Schmidt!"

"Call me Lois," she said, without even turning around. She held out a lipstick stained cocktail glass, "Be a darling and get me another, will you? The bartender knows what I like."

"Of course, uh, Lois." He stammered a little over her name, his cheeks pink with embarrassment and admiration.

She continued chatting with Jessica Rabbit, who didn't look remotely interested in what Lois had to say. Instead, she winked at Double D, turning slightly to show off the thigh length slit in her glittery red gown.

Headed towards the bar, Double D saw a flash of raven hair out of the corner of his eye. No…it couldn't be. He grabbed a random drink off a tray carried by an unhappy waiter, downing the contents in one shot. This was going to be a long night.

-----

He made several trips to the bar that night. Somehow, Lois' drinks kept disappearing down his own throat before reaching her. He wasn't really sure why he had such a craving for alcohol; he never was a big drinker. He just felt so odd….and lowly, compared to all the glamorous people there. Like in those worksheets he did in pre-school. Cross out the one that doesn't belong.

When he finally managed to stumble his way across the roof without losing any of her drink (well, except some that spilled down his shirt in his drunken clumsiness) he was rewarded with a toothy smile and her undivided attention.

"I like you, kid. You've got something I can't put my finger on, that _je ne sais quoi_ that's so rare nowadays."

"Thank you, Loissss." God, his tongue felt so heavy in his mouth, it took herculean effort to be able to form words.

She fumbled in her purse for cigarettes, "That was one hell of a speech you made. How'd you come up with it?"

"I just sawsh it in my head….and wrote it." The world was leaning to the left, Double D leaned even further to the left in order to compensate. It was rather alarming, in a hilarious sort of way.

He had the urge to just collapse on the ground and laugh, until tears of hysteria seeped out of his eyes. He wasn't that drunk- yet.

"So you see…." She paused, the unlit cigarette dangling in her mouth.

"Eddward." Double D finished her sentence for her.

"Yes, right, well, Eddward, I have a bit of a dilemma." She pulled out a Powerpuff Girls Zippo out of her bag and lit the cigarette, inhaling with an air of desperation.

"Di-Dilemma?" His heart sunk at those words. He knew he shouldn't have hoped; he knew that he didn't possess any talent.

"Yes, my dear Eddward, a dilemma." She blew a smoke out of the corner of her mouth, resembling a dragon for a brief moment. "I do want you at Constance, but I fear that I'll only be able to give you a meager position."

"That's alright, I don't mind at all," said Double D, his drunkenness slowly starting to fade.

"Really? Well, you're a doll." She air kissed him on both cheeks, "You'll start Monday then. Damn, I'll have to interview you officially…."

"Fine, fine." He shrugged off the petty little details. The fact still remained: Lois Pewter-Schmidt wanted him. Double D. It made his head spin. Or maybe it was all the drinks he had consumed.

She wandered away, spotting someone else she knew. "Danny, dahhling, it's been forever!"

Double D was left with his pride and an open bar. He went for the open bar.

----

Rin surveyed the party with the eyes of a jaded girl. Not bad. But she had seen better. She helped herself to some of the free champagne that was floating around- that was what made gatherings like this tolerable - that and the food.

_The rich really do know how to eat_, she thought munching on some….thing that had a name that was impossible to pronounce. Either way, it was damn good.

She smiled a little when she saw that guy from the subway, stumbling around like a drunken idiot. He wasn't half bad looking, she decided. But a little on the nerdy side. Neediness seemed to ooze out of his pores, and Rin suddenly had the strange desire to talk to him and try to make it better.

She shook her head to try to rid herself of the thought. _No. Don't do that to yourself again, Rin. Look at what happened last time._

Still, she couldn't help but glance at him again. His eyes were bloodshot; he looked a bit green around the gills, so to speak.

_Aw, fuck it._

She did a quick glance around to make sure no one was looking- or if they were, hopefully they'd be too drunk to remember- and threw her arms around him.

-----

_French-English_

_Parlez-vous francais__?-__ Do you speak French?_

_Vous foutez- Fuck you_


	4. Angelic Pretty

For a split second, Lois Pewter-Schmidt could have sworn that she saw a horse, black as coal, its mane tangled in the wind. But maybe she was just imagining things.

She did vaguely wonder why there was pile of clothes lying on the ground, but didn't care enough to think about it further.

-----

Rin tore through the streets, ignoring the strange looks given to her by tourists and locals alike. Her only goal was to get home before she transformed again. Now _that_ would put her in a sticky situation. Especially considering that her dress was lying on the roof of Soho House. She made a mental note to grab it tomorrow.

She galloped as fast as her hooves could take her, crossing illegally when possible. She could feel subway guy stir on her back, mumbling something incoherent. He seemed to be in that limbo of conscious and unconscious, for which Rin was grateful.

Three blocks. Two blocks. One block. _Almost there,_ Rin coached herself, pushing her tired body the extra mile to her apartment on 20th and 10th Ave.

Not a moment too soon. She could feel herself changing, slipping back into her human form. She winced a little- no matter how many times this had happened, it was still painful to make the transition from horse to human and vice versa.

Her feet now back in use, she ran up the stairs, subway guy thrown over her shoulder like a lumpy sack of potatoes. He was quiet, maybe that was a good thing….or not.

------

Double D felt like he was being moved. But that wasn't possible, he was safe in his bed at home…wasn't he?

A bookshelf stuffed with books in Japanese, a vintage sewing machine tucked into one corner. A more modern one was perched on a desk, next to it a drafting table covered in markers, paper and scraps of fabrics.

He definitely wasn't at home.

That much was made clear by the naked girl carrying him. Wait, back up a second- a naked girl was carrying _him_? He had to be dreaming. Except in his dream, said girl wouldn't have noticed him stirring and dumped him on the nearest surface unceremoniously.

"What did you see?" she snarled, grabbing a white slip to cover herself with. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, "Did you see anything?"

Double D shook his head. He never thought he'd ever be scared of a naked girl using tough talk, but he was. "N-Nothing. I didn't see anything."

"Then keep it that way. Or I'll have to kill you."

Double D swallowed. Hard. Had he accidently saddled himself with a psycho? Damn his stupidity, damn those drinks!

"Here." Her voice softened a little, handing him a bottle of water and some aspirin. "You'll need that, I'd bet."

Maybe she wasn't a complete psycho bitch. Or maybe she just had some form of multiple personality disorder.

Either way, his head was spinning; he tried to sit up but only made it up halfway before spewing Brooklyn style pizza and various alcoholic beverages all over a pile of fabric in front of him.

Rin had been brushing her teeth when she heard the unmistakable sound of retching. Great. This was just fucking great. She rushed out the bathroom, toothbrush still in her mouth, finding subway guy emptying the contents of his stomach on her brand new Angelic Pretty jumperskirt- the one with the bunny pockets.

Oh no he did _not._

She glanced at the once beautiful dress, and then at subway guy, who had fallen backwards, out cold. Fuck. Well, as much as she detested doing good deeds, she might as well take care of him- for the time being. She had nothing better to do.

Gingerly, she picked him up, pulling off his stained shirt and carrying him to the small section of her loft that functioned as a bedroom. He looked almost childlike lying there, snoring softly.

Subway guy now taken care of, she turned her attention to the ruined jumperskirt. It didn't look salvageable but it was worth a shot.

Four trips to the basement laundry room, one bottle of detergent used. Rin surveyed her work. Not bad, at least the stains and the smell were gone. Whether or not she'd be able to wear it again was another story. Rin slapped one hand over her mouth- the smell was beginning to turn her stomach. She needed fresh air, stat.

------

"_Moon River, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style someday……."_

Double D woke up to the sound of the softest singing, with a groan he rolled over. His head was on fire, his stomach doing back flips. He really didn't need to hear some random song. Still, he had to admit there was something calming about it, a sort of wistful, romantic air that had him asleep within seconds.

-----

Rin knew that without her fire escape, she probably would have gone insane a long time ago. Looking over the city, she let her mind roam, not bothering to reel in her thoughts she like she usually did. It was the only time she ever let herself get close to relaxing. Thoughts of Haru collided with childhood memories, which bumped headlong into thoughts about her latest sewing project. Each time, though, one thought kept resurfacing. The curse. It bound her, controlled part of her. She didn't understand it. Maybe she never would. But she resented it, every inch of the spirit that possessed her.

It kept her attached to people she didn't want to associate with, each day that she was separated from him- Akito- injured her further. She could feel it, creeping up her veins and slowly choking her heart. _Go back,_ it urged her. But she wouldn't. The curse of the horse- stubborn as hell.

She felt as though a filthy parasite was lodged deep in her brain, and as much as she wished she could get rid of it, she knew that she couldn't. Being who she was had ruined countless lives- hers, her parents, Haru's.

And now it threatened to overtake the life of a random stranger- she didn't even know his name. She wondered what he would think if he knew. Would he run away, like everyone else did? Or would he be like Tohru, who cared about her anyway? Tears gathered in her eyes at the thought of Tohru; Rin did regret leaving her behind. She and Haru were the only people who ever showed kindness to her. And what did she give them in return? Heartbreak and injury.

It wasn't worth it, being kind. It got her tangled up with people who she was scared of- she knew that as soon as someone cared, she got attached. And she couldn't allow herself to be dependent. If she did, she'd only end up left in the lurch, broken once again. Who the hell would want to be friends with a girl who could change from human to horse? She was a freak.

Haru had understood. He knew what it was like, to be stuck with part of a part of your soul that you couldn't control. It was part of her that she was afraid of, there was a darkness there she was scared to touch. But look at what happened, when she had allowed Haru's kindness to touch her? It had broken both of them- mentally and physically. She couldn't risk that again.

The sun began to rise; Rin rubbed her eyes and yawned. She was tired, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep until that guy was gone.

So she did the only thing she could do- grab her sketchbook and pour her heart out.

-----

The bright sunlight woke Double D from his alcohol induced slumber, the sound of birds singing only served to piss him off further. Something was nagging him in the back of his hung over mind, but he couldn't remember what it was.

His stomach was growling, but nausea quickly overtook. God, he was stupid. Kneeling over the toilet bowl moments later, he realized what he had forgotten.

"Oh fuck."

Nothing like a little dry-heaving to wake the brain up.


End file.
